CEDAR CITY, Utah– Following its seventh straight win, the Southern Utah University women's basketball team will return home on Saturday, Jan. 28, to take on the Tarleton State Texans at 2 p.m. MT in the America First Event Center.
Game Info
Southern Utah vs Tarleton State
Date: January 28, 2023
Venue: America First Event Center
Tip-off: 2 p.m. MT
Live Stats Watch
Southern Utah (11-7; WAC 7-0)
The Thunderbirds are the WAC's only remaining undefeated team, sitting in second place in the Resume Seeding system behind Stephen F Austin.
SUU is the nation's 15th-best rebounding team, snatching 43.41 boards each game compared to its opponents' 35.3. Southern Utah has several fierce rim protectors and leads the WAC in blocks averaging 4.67 per contest. They are also a clutch free-throw team, holding a .738 free-throw percentage, which is second in the conference.
Cherita Daugherty continues to thrash opposing defenses, earning 14.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists each game. Lizzy Williamson averages a double-double with 10.5 points and a WAC-leading 10.7 rebounds. Williamson also leads the conference in blocks with 2.17 per game.
Coming off a crucial 15-point performance against Grand Canyon, Daylani Ballena contributes 11.6 points and 4.9 assists, while Megan Jensen puts up 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds, with a team-leading .526 field goal percentage.
Last Time Out
First Half
In a battle between two of the WAC's top three teams, Grand Canyon would dart out onto an 8-4 run to begin the game. After the first media timeout, Daugherty hit a smooth mid-range jumper to get things going for the Thunderbirds, but some furious defense allowed the Lopes to close out the quarter with the 15-8 lead.
Southern Utah caught fire out of the break, bolting out on an immediate 10-3 run, highlighted by a coast-to-coast layup from Daugherty and two consecutive Johnston three-pointers to help the Thunderbirds take their first lead of the game, 20-18 at the 6:13 mark.
Grand Canyon put a stop to the Thunderbird surge out of a timeout, going on a 9-2 run to extend their lead back out to 27-22. SUU climbed back with layups from Alexa Lord and Whitman to bring the game within one point, 27-26. As the clock ticked under two minutes left in the half both teams began to heat up.
Following a GCU jumper, Daugherty found a lane to the rim for a layup, and Lord earned a three-point play to tie the game at 31-31 with under a minute to play. The final 45 seconds of the first half would see three separate lead changes.
After the Lopes clanked in a layup, Johnston splashed her third three-pointer of the half to take the 34-33 advantage with 23 seconds remaining, but the Lopes sunk a floater on the next possession to secure the 35-34 lead into the half.
Second Half
The Lopes turned up the intensity out of the half and stretched its lead to 43-34 off an 8-0 run into the 4:49 media timeout. Ballena would take the lid off the Thunderbirds scoring lull, hitting a jumper and banking in a back-door layup to cut the deficit to 43-38.
GCU halted the Thunderbird run in the next two ensuing possessions connecting on two free throws and a layup to give them the 47-41 at the end of the third quarter.
Each side traded buckets to open the fourth quarter until GCU extended their lead to 53-45 after two straight jumpers. Southern Utah immediately responded with fire, forcing three straight Lopes turnovers and exploding out onto a 7-0 run, courtesy of a Williamson layup and two jumpers from Ballena and Jensen to bring the Thunderbirds within one 52-53, with 3:07 remaining.
After Grand Canyon answered back with a layup and two free throws, SUU rocketed out another 7-0 run led by a second-chance layup from Whitman and a Ballena corner three to snatch the lead back, 59-56, with 44 seconds left.
The Lopes would not go away easy as they capitalized on an SUU turnover and sunk two free throws to pull the game within one 59-58 with 31 seconds on the clock. With the Lopes needing to foul, Whitman would go to the line and hit four clutch free throws to clinch the 63-60 victory.
Tarleton State (7-12; WAC 1-7)
The Texans are on a three-game losing streak, with their most recent defeat coming against Utah Tech 70-44, Thursday night in St George.
Tarleton has relied on junior guard Teresa Da Silva throughout this season. Da Silva fuels TSU's offense with 14.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. They've also had efficient production from Tyler Jackson and Mayra Caicedo, who both record eight points each game.
TSU score 63.3 points per contest, while its opponents average 66.7 points.
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